Printer delivery means



R. E. BELL PRINTER DELIVERY MEANS Jan. 28, 1964 Filed Feb. 29, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. BELL M 4M W ATTORNEYS I Jan. 28, 1964 R. E. BELL PRINTER DELIVERY MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 29, 1960 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. BELL ATTORNEY Jan. 28, 1964 R. E. BELL PRINTER DELIVERY MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 29, 1960 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. BELL BY 772M wmwy ATTORNEYS- Jan. 28, 1964 R. E. BELL 3,

PRINTER DELIVERY MEANS Filed Feb. 29, 1960 4 Sheet's Sheet 4 INVENTOR. ROBERT E. BELL ATTORNEY Ti m United States Patent 3,119,326 PRMTER DELIVERY MEANS Robert E. Bell, Toledo, ()hio, assignor to Toledo Scale Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 29, 196i Ser. No. 11,707 12 Claims. (Cl. 101-66) This invention rel-ates generally to printing apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for handling tickets, labels or the like which are issued successively by a printer.

The apparatus for handling tickets, labels or the like is described in connection with the printer which is disclosed in U.S. application Serial No. 791,728 filed Febriuary 6, 1959, in the names of Clarence E. Adler and Frederick C. Carroll. The printer is described in such application, for the purpose of illustration, in connection with a weighing scale, the scale and the printer being constructed as a unit to weigh commodities and to issue a printed label bearing thereon the net weight, price per pound, and computed value of a weighed commodity together with such variable data as the date, store code,

commodity name, and commodity grade.

The printer is of the type which intermittently advances, prints, and cuts off successive labels from a strip. These labels must be delivered to a delivery station quickly and surely in a printed-face-up or a printed-face-down position. The delivery station includes the label activator which is disclosed in U.S. application Serial No. 754,741 filed August 13, 1958, in the name of Robert E. Bell, now U.S. Patent No. 2,954,455, the labels, for the sake of design simplicity, all being delivered to the label activator whether for inside or outside packaging use. When the labels are wrapped inside packages which have windows through which the labels can be seen, the labels must be delivered to the printing station with the printed faces up so that they can be slid onto the commodities to be transparent wrapped. When the labels are applied to the outside of packages, the labels must be delivered to the printing station with the printed faces down so that the packages can be introduced into contact with adhesive coatings on the backs of the labels, thereby causing adherence between the wrappings and the labels. Whether for inside or outside packaging use, the labels must be delivered to the label activator quickly and surely.

It is, accordingly, the salient object of this invention to provide apparatus for handling tickets, labels or the like which are issued successively by a printer to deliver them quickly and surely to a delivery station.

Another object of the invention is to provide the foregoing apparatus for handling tickets, labels or the like which delivers them selectively in a face up or a facedown position to the delivery station.

Still another object is to provide compact, yet rugged, label handling mechanism which is operable at very high speeds.

A further object is to provide label handling mechanism which is operable in synchronism with high speed labelprinting and issuing mechanism.

These and more specific objects and advantages are apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

According to a specific embodiment of the invention, the printer which is disclosed in the foregoing U.S. application Serial No. 791,728 is provided with label handling apparatus which delivers labels issued by the printer to a delivery station. The label handling apparatus includes a clamp operable in synchronism with the printer which receives each successive label issued by the printer and means also operable in synchronism': with the printer that contacts and thereby drives each successive label released 3,119,325 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 by the clamp downwardly quickly and surely into a chute down which the labels slide to a delivery station. Finger operable deflection means: is movable selectively into the path of such downwardly driven labels for inverting selected ones of the labels.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a fragmentary end elevational View of a printer in which the label handling apparatus of the invention is incorporated;

FIG. II is a front elevational view as seen from the line 11-41 of FIG. 1;

FIG. III is a plan view of the label handling apparatus its seen looking down upon the printer as shown in FIG.

FIG. IV is a vertical sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. In;

"FIG. V is a sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. IV;

FIG. V1 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. IV;

FIG. VII is a sectional view taken along the line VI IV II of FIG. IV; and

FIG. VIII is an enlarged view of the cam which is shown incorporated in the label handling apparatus in FIG. III.

These specific figures and the accompanying description are intended merely to illustrate the invention but not to impose limitations on the claims.

FIGS. I and II correspond, respectively, to FIGS. III and I of the foregoing U.S. application Serial No. 791,728, certain elements not needed for a clear understanding of the label handling apparatus being omitted for the sake of simplicity and such label handling apparatus being shown incorporated in the printer. The printer includes a frame member 1 for which most of the parts of the printer are hung. Above the frame member -1 is a printmg station 2 (FIG. II) in which suitable printing type bearing elements are located. These type bearing elements, which can be printing wheels or plates, are not illustrated for the sake of simplicity. The printer is constructed as a unit with a weighing scale (not shown) toweigh commodities and to issue a printed label bearing thereon the net weight, price per pound, and computed value of a weighed commodity together with such variable data as the date, store code, commodity name, and commodity grade. Mechanism which operatively connects certain of the type bearing elements to the weighing scale for automatically setting up such elements to print the net weight and the computed value are contained within a case (not shown) which is supported by and located above the frame member 1. Other ones of the type bearing elements are set up by manually operated mechanism which also is contained within the case. For a clear understanding of the structure and fiu-nction of the printer and of the label handling apparatus for the printer it is necessary only to know that ordinary printing type are set up in a horizontal plane in the printing station 2 and these can be pictured as being set up all by hand for the sake of simplicity.

An illustrative example of a label 3- issued by the printer in conjunction with the weighing scale for use in prepackaging meat is shown in FIG. III, the label 3 being part of a strip 4 of labels. Certain information such as the name of the store and headings for the matter to be printed may be preprinted on the label, the printer printing the net weight, price per pound, computed value, date, store code, commodity name, and commodity grade. The edges of the lower one of the labels 3 as viewed in FIG. III define the horizontal limits of the printing station 2.

3 The label strip 4 is provided along its edges with notches 5 which are located in pairs in accurately spaced relation lengthwise of the strip. The lengthwise distance between any two of the notches 5 is equal to the desired dimension of an individual label 3.

A shelf-like casting 6 is hung by means not shown from the frame member 1 and above such casting 6 but below such frame member 1 is located a suitably journaled horizontal main drive shaft 7 which extends rthrough a hole 3 (FIG. I) in a leg 9 depending from the frame member I. The drive shaft 7 has secured thereto a miter gear 10 and a Geneva driver 11 and is turned one revolution for each printing cycle. The nature of the drive means for turning the shaft 7 is not shown for the sake of simplicity and since it is not critical for the purposes of the invention beyond the requirement that the shaft 7 be turned one revolution for each printing cycle.

Turning of the drive shaft 7 through one revolution causes the Geneva driver 11 which turns as one therewith to turn a Geneva gear 12, with which the driver 11 cooperates, ninety degrees, the Geneva gear 12 being secured to a suitably journaled horizontal shaft 13. The Geneva gear 12 drives mechanism for feeding labels to the printing station 2; this mechanism is not shown but is shown in detail in the foregoing U.S. application Serial No. 791,728. The label strip 4 is fed by such mechanism through a chute 14, depending from the frame member 1, in the direction indicated by the straight arrows in FIGS. I and III, the printer intermittently advancing, printing, and cutting off successive labels 3 from the label strip 4.

As soon as the main drive shaft 7 begins to turn after the initiation of a printing cycle, the miter gear 10 on the shaft 7 turns and drives a miter gear 15 atop a vertical shaft 16 journaled in a boss 17 on the casting 6, the shaft 16 carrying at its lower end a gear 18 that meshes with a gear 19 carried on a short vertical shaft 20 that also is journaled in the casting 6. An arm 21 atop the short vertical shaft 20 turns as one with the gear 19 on such shaft, the free end of the arm 21, which is pivoted to a link 22 at 23, making one revolution during each printing cycle. The link 22 is pivotally connected at 24 (FIG. 1) to a carriage 25 that is pulled to the right as viewed in FIG. II to a position at the right of the printing station 2 and then pushed to the left to return it to its home position which is located slightly to the left of its position shown in FIG. 11 by means of the link 22 when the right hand end of the link 22 as viewed in FIG. II follows the free end of the arm 21 about in the circular path of such free end of the arm.

The carriage 25 is mounted to reciprocate across the front of the printer on a horizontal round rod 26 which extends between a pair of spaced legs (not shown) deending from the frame member 1. A square bar 27 which also extends between such spaced legs functions as a guide for the carriage 25 and prevents it from turning about the axis of the round rod 26, a roller 28 on the carriage following the surface on one vertical side of the bar 27 andthe end of an adjustment screw 29 on the carriage following the surface of the opposite side of the bar. The adjustment screw 29 provides an adjustment for positioning the carriage 25 about the axis of the rod 26. During the forward stroke of the carriage 25, i.e., its stroke from left to right as viewed in FIG. II, an ink roller 36 carried by the carriage 25 inks the type in the printing station 2 and, during the return stroke of the carriage, a platen roller 31 also carried by the carriage presses a label 3 against the inked type, a roller cutter 3-2 that also is carried by the carriage severing the printed label 3 from the label strip 4 on such return stroke. -In the general operation of the printer, the type in the printing station 2 are inked by the ink roller 30 on the forward stroke of the carriage 25, then the feed'mechanism accurately feeds a label into the printing station 2 before the carriage reaches the printing station on its return stroke, and then the printing and cut off occur nearly simultaneously as the platen rolier 31 and the cutter 32 roll past the printing station 2 on the return stroke of the carriage, the events happening rapidly with no time lost between their occurrence.

The carriage 25 carries a shaft 33 on which a yoke 34 is pivotally mounted, the yoke being axially located on the shaft 33 by means of a pair of collars 35 between which the right hand arm of the yoke 34 as viewed in FIG. I is sandwiched. A locating pin 36 on the left hand arm of the yoke 34 as viewed in FIG. I is received in an opening in a plate 37 which also is pivotally mounted on the shaft 33, a knurled nut 38 threaded on the end of the shaft 33 holding the plate 37 in its pin-located position against such left hand arm of the yoke 34. The end of the shaft 33 has a shoulder against which the nut 38 is turned so that the yoke 34 and the plate 37 are free to pivot about the axis of the shaft 33. When the plate 37 is in place, a set of aligned holes in the yoke 34 and the plate 37 receives pins 39 extending from the axis of the platen roller 31 which serve to rotatably mount such platen roller and a second set of aligned holes in the yoke 34 and the plate 37 receives studs 40, only one of which is shown, extending from the axis of the ink roller 36 which serve to rotatably mount such ink roller. To assemble the yoke, plate, and rollers, the right hand one of the collars 35 as viewed in FIG. 1, the right hand arm of the yoke 34, the other one of the collars, and the other one of the arms of the yoke are slipped on the shaft 33 in that order, set screws 41 only one of which is shown holding the collars in adjusted axial position on the shaft 33. The right hand platen roller pin 39 and. the right hand ink roller stud 40 then are put in place, the plate 37 slipped on the shaft 33 and positioned so that the locating pin 36, the left hand platen roller pin 39 and the left hand ink roller stud 40 are properly received therein, and finally the nut 38 is turned into place.

The cutter 32 has the general form of a roller and is rotatably mounted, by means of a stud 42, on a springtempered bracket 43 carried by the carriage 25. The bracket 43 resiliently urges the cutter 32 toward the cutting edge of a stationary knife 44 attached by means of screws 45 (FIG. III) to the frame member 1. A sharp cutting edge 46 on the cutter 32 severs the printed labels 3 from the label strip 4 on the return stroke of the carriage 25 as the roller-like cutter 32 rolls along the edge of the stationary knife 44.

A latch 47 having an abutment edge 48 is adjustably mounted on a latch arm 49 which is pivotally mounted by means of a shoulder screw 50 on the carriage 25. Screws 51 which are received in threaded holes in the latch arm 49 and in slots in the latch 47 hold the latch 47 in adjusted position on the latch arm 49, the latch 47 being positionable longitudinally on the latch arm 49 between limits determined by the size of the slots. An adjustment screw 52 which has a pair of spaced shoulders 53 one shoulder on either side of a shoulder 54 on the latch arm 49 is threaded into a shoulder 55 on the latch 47. This forms a push-pull connection so that the turning of the adjustment screw 52 pushes or pulls the latch 47 along the latch arm 49. The latch arm 49 is urged in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. II about the axis of the shoulder screw 50 by means of a spring 56 extending between a pin 57 on the carriage 25 and the end of the latch arm 49 remote from the shoulder screw 50. The yoke 34 is urged in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. II about the axis of the shaft 33 by means of a spring 58 extending between a screw 59 on the carriage 25 and the yoke.

When the carriage 25 reaches the end of its forward stroke, a stationary stop not shown strikes a stud 59a (FIG. I) secured to the pivotally mounted yoke 34-. This causes the yoke 34 to be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 11 about the axis of the shaft 33 to make a latch plate 69/, secured to the bottom of the yoke 34 by means of a pair of screws 61, to become caught by the abutment edge 48 of the latch 47, the abutment edge 48- being resiliently biased toward the latch plate 60 by the spring 56. The latch plate 60 is shown in its latched position in FIG. II.

When the carriage reaches the end of its return stroke, a suitably mounted stationary cam 62 strikes a finger 63 on the pivotally mounted latch arm 49 which pivots the latch arm 4-9 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. II about the axis of the shoulder screw 56* to release the latch plate of from the abutment edge 48 of the latch 47, the latch plate 6t} being resiliently biased away from the latch 47 by the spring 53. When the carriage makes its forward stroke, i.e., from left to right as viewed in FIG. II, the spring 58, since the latch plate 60 is unlatched at this point in the cycle, holds the yoke 34 pivoted about the axis of the shaft 33 against the upper end of an adjustment screw 64 carried by the carriage 25. In this position, the ink roller 36 is held under spring pressure against the type in the printing station 2 and inks the type as the carriage makes its forward stroke, and the platen roller 31 is held in an inoperative position below the type. The cutter 32 runs along the stationary knife 44 at this point in the cycle but accomplishes nothing because there is no label at this time in the printing station 2.

When the carriage 25 reaches the end of its forward stroke, a label 3 is fed into the printing station 2 and the latch plate 69 is latched as hereinbefore described. In this position, as indicated in FIG. II, the platen roller 31 presses a label 3 against the inked type as the carriage 25 makes its return stroke and the ink roller 3% is held in an inoperative position below the label. The cutter 32 runs along the stationary knife 44 and severs the printed label from the label strip 4 nearly as soon as it is printed, since the roller cutter 32 follows the platen roller 31 closely. When the carriage 25 reaches the end of its return stroke, the latch plate 60 is unlatched as hereinbefore described.

During the forward stroke of the carriage 25, the ink roller 30 is held under spring pressure against the type in the printing station 2. This pressure is adjusted by turning the adjustment screw 64, held in locked position by means of a lock nut d5, which determines how far the spring 58 is able to pivot the yoke 34 about the axis of the shaft 33-. The pressure of the platen roller 31 on the label 3 in the printing station is adjusted by turning the adjustment screw 52 which positions the abutment edge 48 on the latch 47 relative to the operative end of the latch plate 60. For example with reference to FIG. II, if the adjustment screw 52 is turned to advance the abutment edge 48 toward the operative end of the latch plate 60, this will pivot the yoke 34 counterclockwise about the axis of the shaft 33 to increase the pressure applied by the platen roller 31. The mechanism for inking, printing and label cutting is shown and described in detail in the foregoing US. application Serial No. 791,728.

At the start of a printing cycle, a label guide 66, secured to the carriage 25 by means of a screw 67, which has a mouth 68 that opens to the right as shown in FIG. II is located at the left hand side of the printer as viewed in FIG. II. At the end of the forward stroke of the carriage 25, the label guide 66 is located directly underneath the printing station 2 in position to receive the label next to be printed when it is advanced into the printing station. As the carriage is reciprocated in its return stroke, the label guide 66 moves to the left and the right hand edge of the label to be printed is released from the label guide at the open mouth 68 of the guide. First, such released right hand edge of the label is supported upon a label support 69 carried on the yoke 34 and then it is picked up by the platen roller 31 and pressed against the inked printing type. Further reciprocation of the carriage 25 in its return stroke releases the rest of the label from the 6 guide 66 to be pressed by the platen roller 31 against the inked type and cut off by means of the cooperating roller cutter 3-2 and the stationary knife 44.

When the label next to be printed is received by the label guide 66 it is supported by such guide relative to the knife 44 as shown by the location of the lower one of the labels 3 illustrated in FIG. III, the roller cutter 32 severing such label from the label strip by running along the leading edge 70 of the knife. During the advance of the label into the label guide 66, i.e., into the printing station 2, a clamp 71, by means hereinafter described, is opened and at the end of such advance the clamp 71 is closed gripping the label just forward of the leading edge 70 of the knife 44, the clamp 71 holding the label until the end of the printing and cut off cycle. The clamp 71 receives each successive label issued by the printer.

The clamp 71 includes a stationary plate 72, secured to the upper surface of the knife 44 by means of screws 73,.

having a pair of fingers 74 spaced apart the width of the label strip 4 as shown in FIG. III and extending down wardly and forwardly out of the plane of the plate 72 as shown in FIG. I. A pivotally mounted bar is arranged to cooperate with the underneath surfaces of the fingers 74 of the plate 72. When the bar 75 is pivoted downwardly as viewed in FIG. I, the clamp is open and the label strip is fed directly underneath the bottom of the knife 44 and through the open clamp. When the bar 75 is pivoted upwardly the label strip is pinched between the bar and the stationary fingers 74. The bar 75 has its ends bent out of its plane as viewed in FIG. II for attachment of each end to a lever 76 and has a centrally located projection 77 bent out of its plane as viewed in FIG. III. The levers 76 each is fulcrumed on a pin 78 extending horizontally from an angle bracket 79 held by means of screws till on the top of the stationary knife 44. Springs 81, one for each of the levers 76, are coiled several times around the pins 78. One end of each of the springs 81 is hooked over the back end of its respective lever 76 as viewed in FIG. III and the other end of each of the springs 81 contacts the upper surface of the knife 44 as viewed in FIG. I. The levers 76, thus, are urged by the springs 81 clockwise about the axes of the pins 78 as viewed in FIG. I.

A pivotally mounted flipper bar 82 operable as hereinafter described in synchronism with the clamp 71 strikes and thereby drives each successive label released by the clamp downwardly into a chute 83 which is carried by the carriage 25. The flipper bar 82 is carried on an end of a shaft 84 pivotally mounted in a bracket 85 secured to the front of a small casting 86 atop the frame member 1. The shaft 84 has an end bent at a right angle as viewed in FIG. III forming an arm 87 the free end of which as viewed in FIG. III is urged upwardly by means of a spring 83 which is coiled several times around the shaft 84 and which has one end anchored to ground in the bracket 85 and has its other end contacting the lever arm 87.

The chute 83 includes a flat bottom portion 89 which slopes downwardly and forwardly and spaced upstanding side portions 99; it is secured to a right angle bracket 91 by means of screws 92 which extend through slots 93 in the chute and which are threaded into the bracket 91, the bracket 91 being attached to the carriage 25 by means of screws 94. The slots 93 make it possible to align the movable chute 83 with a stationary chute 95 when the movable chute is in its home position. The stationary chute 95 also has a flat bottom portion 96 which slopes downwardly and forwardly at the same angle as the bottom portion 89 of the movable chute 83 and has spaced upstanding side portions 97. As shown in FIG. II, the movable chute 83 is moving to the left and is nearly to its home position. Labels issued by the printer slide down the aligned chutes to a delivery station indicated at 98 which includes the label activator that is disclosed in the foregoing US. application Serial No. 754,741. The traveling chute 83 moves back and forth as one with the car- 7 riage 25 and receives each successive label issued by the printer.

The clamp 71 and the flipper bar 82 are operated in syuchronism with the several other operating components of the printer by means including a label handling mechanism cam 99 on the vertical shaft 16 which is turned through one revolution for each printing cycle. A bell crank 1th), journaled at its upper end in the frame member 1 and at its lower end in a plate 1%1 attached by means of screws 192 to: the bottom of the leg 9, has a bifurcated arm 103 carrying a cam following roller 1154 and an arm 195 to which a spring 1196, anchored to a screw 107 threaded into the underneath side of the frame member 1, is attached for urging the cam following roller 104 continuously against the cam 99. A link 108 is pivoted at 1119 to the free end of the arm 165 and at 119 to the end of an arm 111 that is fixed at its other end to a shaft 112 journaled in and extending between two plates 113 attached to the small casting 86. Pivoting of the bell crank 16% as driven by the carn 951 rocks the arm 111 as indicated by the double-ended arrow in FIG. II. This pivots the shaft 112 about its axis.

The shaft 112 carries three pins 114, 115 and 116. Pin 114 is fixed directly in the shaft 112; it extends from the shaft 112 to a position underneath the back end of the right hand one of the levers '76 as viewed in FIG. III. As shown in FIGS. I and V, when the cam 99 is in its home or starting position, the free end of the pin 114 contacts the underneath side of the lever 7d. Pin 115 is fixed in a collar 117 held in adjusted position by means of a set screw 118 on the shaft 112; the pin 115 extends from the shaft 112 to a position above the front end of the right hand one of the levers 76 as viewed in FIG. III. As shown in FIGS. I and VI, when the cam 99 is in its home or starting position, the free end of the pin 115 is juxtaposed with but does not contact the lever 76. Pin 116 is fixed in a collar 1119 held in adjusted position by means of a set screw 121} on the shaft 112; the pin 116 extends from the shaft 112 to a position above the free end of the arm 87 of the shaft 84 as viewed in FIG. Ill. As shown in FIG. VII, when the cam $9 is in its home or starting position, the free end of the pin 116 contacts the free end of the arm 87 of the shaft 84. The clamp 71 is driven by the pins 114 and 115 and the flipper bar 82 is driven by pin 116 which pins are rocked as indicated by the double-ended arrow in FIG. II during the operation of the printer.

In the operation of the apparatus, which includes the clamp 71 and the flipper bar 82, for handling labels issued successively by the printer to deliver them quickly and surely to the delivery station 98, the cam 99 is shown in FIGS. I, 11, HI and VIII in its home or starting position. In such home position, the cam following roller 104 is detented in low spot A (FIG. VIII) in the cam 99. Also in such home position, the clamp 71 is closed under the action of the springs 81 as shown in FIG. I and the flipper bar 82 is held up out of potential contact with a label under the action of the spring 88 as shown in FIG. IV. As the cam 99 turns counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow in FIG. VIII, the roller 104 follows from A to point B on the cam during which time inking of the type in the printing station 2 takes place.

As the roller 104 moves onto a rise on the cam 99 at point B, the shaft 112 is turned clockwise as viewed in FIG. I I through its operative connection with such roller. Clockwise rotation of the :shaft 112 moves pins 114, 115 and 116 upward as viewed in FIG. III. Pin 115 moves away from the lever 76 and pin 116 moves away from the arm '87. Hence, pins 115 and 116 at this point do nothing. However, pin 114 drives its lever 76 and thus both of the interconnected levers 76 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. I about the axes of the pins 78. This opens the clamp 71 by pivoting the bar 75 downwardly in opposition to the return springs 81 and a label is fed through the open clamp into the printing station 2.

The label feed continues while the roller 184 follows the cam 99 from point B to point C on the cam during which time the clamp 71 remains open and the flipper bar 82 remains up. At point C on the cam 99 the roller moves onto a low spot on the cam and the shaft 112 is turned counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. II to return the pins 114, 115' and 116 to the same position as when the roller 1114 was detented at A. This allows return springs 61 to close the clamp 71, the flipper bar 82 still remaining in its up position. When the clamp is closed, the clampbar is pivoted upwardly to pinch a label between such bar and the two stationary fingers 74.

Printing and cutting of the labels occur with the clamp 71 closed and the flipper bar 32 up wl'dle the roller 1% follows the cam 99 from point C to point D on the cam. At point D, such printing and out off are completed and the clamp 71 opens and the flipper bar 82 moves downwardly very rapidly as the roller 194 follows the cam into a sharp valley B. As the roller 104 follows the cam into valley E, the shaft .112 is turned counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. II. This moves pin 114 downwardly as viewed in FIG. III through a clearance hole 121 in the knife 44 and away from the lever 76. Hence, at this point in the cycle, pin 114 does nothting. However, pin contacts and drives its lever 7 6 and thus both of the interconnected levers 76 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. I about the axes of the pins 78. This opens the clamp 71 by pivoting the bar 75 downwardly in opposition to the return springs 81. Also, pin 116 drives the free end of the arm 87 of the shaft 84 downwardly to pivot the shaft 34 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. IV pivoting the dipper bar 82 counterclockwise about the axis of the shaft 84 from its position shown in FIG. IV to a position well below the lower surface of the knife 44. .The roller 1114 then detents in portion A of the cam 99 and the apparatus is again in its home position wherein the clamp 71 is closed and the flipper bar 82 is up.

During the movement of the roller 104 from point B to C on the cam 99, the label is fed into the label guide as. During this time the clamp 71 is open and the flipper bar 82 is up. During the movement of the roller 104 from point C to D on the cam 99, the carriage 25 is reciprocated in its return stroke and the label is released from the label guide. First, the label as it is released is supported upon the label support 69 and then it is picked up by the platen roller 31 and pressed against the inked printing type. Further reciprocation of the carriage 25 in its return stroke releases the rest of the label from the guide as to be pressed by the platen roller 31 against the inked type and cut off by means of the cooperating roller cutter 32 and the stationary knife 44. During this time, i. e., during the prinitng and out off cycle, the clamp 71 is closed and the flipper bar 52 is up. Hence, during this time, the label in the printing station 2 is pinched between the pivotable bar 75 and the stationary fingers 74 of the clamp 71.

At point D on the cam 99, the printing and cut off are completed and the clamp 71 opens and the flipper bar 82 moves downwardly and forwardly as the roller 194 follows the cam into the valley E. Release of tine label by the platen roller 31, the opening of the clamp 71 and the downward movement of the flipper bar 82 happen more or less simultaneously. The clamp 71 holds the label at the knife 44 while printing and cut off occur so that after the out off the label is as square as possible with the traveling chute S3 waiting below to receive it. The Hipper bar 82 strikes the squarely oriented label before it has a chance after being released by the platen roller 31 to droop appreciably under the influence of gravity and thereby drives each successive label released by the clamp 71 downwardly and forwardly into the downwardly and forwardly slanting traveling chute 83. This provides a positive drive for impelling the labels released by the clamp quickly and surely while still in such square orientations toward the traveling chute 83, i.e., toward the delivery station. This places the labels at high speeds squarely in the traveling chute 83 so that they slide without hanging up on the sides of the traveling chute down through the stationary chute 95 to the delivery station 98. The label handling apparatus is operable in synchronism with the label printing and issuing mechanism which operates at very high speeds.

The flipper bar 82 strikes the label in the location shown in FIG. III. Since the flipper bar 82 and the clamp bar 75 move downwardly together, the trailing edge of the newly severed label is wiped across the clamp bar 75 which provides a take off line which is square with the traveling chute 83 waiting below to receive the label. Should the label happen to have been fed into the printing station 2 at an angle so that it is slightly cocked relative to the clamp bar '75, the center of the labels trailing edge will be wiped across the projection 77 on the bar which is provided for such purpose. That is, the projection 77 provides a take off point for the center of the labels trailing edge which label otherwise, since it is cocked relative to the clamp bar 75, would take off from the clamp bar 75 near one of the stationary fingers 74 and thus be twisted as it is driven by the flipper bar 82. Hence, the projection 77 reduces the tendency of a cocked label to twist after being struck by the flipper bar 82.

In the overall operation of the printer, the main drive shaft 7 is turned one revolution for each printing cycle. During the first forty percent of the revolution of the main drive shaft 7, a driving end 122 of the Geneva) driver 11 travels from its position shown in FIG. I to its cooperating position with the Geneva gear 12. This pro vides a delay in the label strip feeding cycle during which the printing type in the printing station 2 are inked. As soon as the main drive shaft 7 begins to turn, the label handling mechanism cam 99 also begins to turn and the link 22, operatively connected to the shaft 7, pulls the carriage 25 across the front of the printer in a forward stroke from left to right as viewed in FIG. II. This inks the printing type, roller 104 moving from point A to B on the label handling mechanism cam 99 with the clamp 71 closed and the flipper bar 8-2 up during the inking cycle.

After the carriage passes the printing station 2 on its forward stroke and before it returns to the printing station on its return stroke, i.e., as soon as the type are inked, the Geneva gear 12 is turned 90 degrees and a label is fed into the printing station. The roller 104- moves from point B to C on the label handling mechanism cam 99 with the clamp 71 open and the flipper bar 8-2 up during the label feeding cycle.

During the final motion of the Geneva driver 11 while it again is disengaged from the Geneva gear 12 to immobilize the label strip feeding mechanism, the carriage 25 is returned to its home position. During the return stroke of the carriage 25, the platen roller 31 presses the label in the printing station against the inked type and the roller cutter 32 runs along the knife 44 and severs the printed label 3 from the label strip 4. The roller 194 moves from point C to D 'on the label handling mechanism cam 99 with the clamp 71 closed and the flipper bar 82 up during the printing and cut oii cycle. At point D on the cam 99, the clamp 71 opens and the flipper bar 82, moves downwardly and forwardly as the roller 104 follows the cam into valley E and the label is driven by the flipper bar into the traveling chute 83 which moves as one with the carriage 25. The roller 104 then detents into portion A of the label handling mechanism cam 99 to stop and lock the carriage 25 exactly in its home position with the traveling chute 83 perfectly aligned with the stationary chute 95 and to return the label handling apparatus to its home position, i.e., its position wherein the clamp 71 is closed and the flipper bar 82 is up.

The labels are delivered to the delivery station 98 in a printed-face-up or a printed-face-down position. When the labels are wrapped inside packages which have windows through which the labels can be seen, the labels are delivered to the printing station with the printed faces up so that they can he slid onto the commodities to be transparent wrapped. When the labels are applied to the outside of packages, the labels are delivered to the printing station with the printed faces down so that the packages can be introduced into contact with adhesive coatings on the backs of the labels, thereby causing adherence between the wrappings and the labels. Selective face-up or face-down delivery of the labels is accomplished by manually operable deflection means movable into the path of the downwardly driven labels, i.e., as driven downwardly by the flipper bar 82, for inverting selected ones of the labels.

The deflection means includes a label turnover plate 123 which has a pair of wings 124 one extending horizontally from each of its sides. The plate wings 124 are received in upwardly opening notches 125 in the upstanding side positions '98 of traveling chute S3 and are held down in such notches 125 by means of a pair of springs 126, attached one to each of the upstanding side portions of the traveling chute 83, which is hooked over the wings 124 of the label turnover plate 123. The plate 123 is fulcrumed hi the notches and is pivotable by finger pressure from a label inverting position, shown in FIG. I wherein curved portions 127 of the springs 126 bear :on the plate wings 124 and the plate wings 124 bear against front surfaces 128 of the upstanding side portions 90 of the traveling chute 83, to an inoperative position wherein curved portions 129 of the springs 126 bear on the plate wings to hold the turnover plate in its adjusted position.

If it is desired to deliver the labels to the delivery station 93 in a printed-face-up position, i.e., in the position in which they are printed, the label turnover plate 123 is shifted to its inoperative position wherein curved portions 129 of the springs 126 bear on the plate wings 124. The labels then are delivered to the traveling chute 83 as hereinbefore described, the label turnover plate 123 doing nothing. If, on the other hand, it is desired to deliver the labels to the delivery station 98 in a printedface-down position, the label turnover plate 123 is shifted to its label inverting position shown in FIG. 'I. In the label inverting position, the plate 123 is located in and across the path of the issuing labels before they reach the traveling chute 83 and catch the leading portions of the labels as they are driven downwardly and forwardly by the flipper bar 82. The labels are pivoted on the upper edge of the plate 123 and are, thus, inverted.

The embodiment of the invention herein shown and described is to be regarded as illustrative only and it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to Variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In a printer for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, in combination, a printing station, means in the printing station for printing each successive element and severing each successive element from a strip of elements while it is being printed, clamp means for holding stationary each successive element while it is being simultaneously printed and severed, and means operable in synchronism with the clamp means for driving each successive element released by the clamp means downwardly from the printing station toward a delivery station.

2. In a printer for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, in combination, means defining a printing station, clamp means at the printing station for holding stationary each successive element while it is being printed, and driving means operable in the printing station and in synchronism with the clamp means for driving each successive element released by the clamp means in a downward path toward a delivery station.

3. In a printer for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, in combination, clamp means for receiving and holding stationary each successive element to be issued by the printer, a reciprocable chute operable in synchronism with the clamp means for receiving eaoh successive element released by the clamp means, and means also operable in synchronism with the clamp means for contacting and thereby driving each successive element released by the clamp means downwardly into the chute.

4. In a printer for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, in combination, clamp means for receiving each successive element to be issued by the printer, a reciprocable chute operable in synchronism with the clamp means for receiving each successive element released by the clamp means, means also operable in synchronism with the clamp means for contacting and thereby driving each successive element released by the clamp means downwardly into the chute, and deflection means carried by the chute movable selectively into the path of such downwardly driven elements for inverting the elements.

5. In a printer for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, in combination, a printing station, means for receiving and stationarily supporting in the printing station each successive element to be issued and for releasing such elements as they are printed, and means operable in synchronism with such means for driving each successive element released by such means downwardly from the printing station toward a delivery station.

6. In a printer for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, in combination, a printing station, means for receiving and stationarily supporting in the printing station each successive element to be issued and for releasing such elements as they are printed, means operable in synchronism with such means for contacting and thereby driving each successive element released by such means downwardly toward a delivery station, and deflection means movable selectively into the path of such downwardly driven elements for inverting the elements.

7. In a printer for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, in combination, a printing station, support means for receiving and stationarily supporting in the printing station each successive element to be issued and for releasing such elements as they are printed, clamp means operable in synchronism with the support means for holding edges of the elements stationary while the elements are being released by the support means, and means also operable in synchronism with the support means for contacting and thereby driving each successive element released by the clamp means downwardly toward a delivery station.

8. In a printer for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, in combination, a printing station, support means for receiving and supporting in the printing station each successive element to be issued and for releasing such elements as they are printed, clamp means operable in synchronism with the support means for holding the elements while the elements are being released by the support means, means also operable in synchronisrn with the support means for contacting and thereby driving each successive element released by the clamp means downwardly toward a delivery station, and deflection means movable selectively into the path of such downwardly driven elements for inverting the elements.

9. A printer comprising, in combination, means defining a printing station, means for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels, or the like, and a pivotally mounted flipper bar at and operable in the printing station and operable in synchronism with such printing means for striking and thereby driving each successive issued element downwardly toward a delivery station.

10. A printer comprising, in combination, means for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, a stationary chute depending below such means for conveying issued elements to a delivery station, a reciprocable chute movable with such means for conveying issued elements to the stationary chute, and deflection means carried by the reciprocable chute movable selectively into the path of the issuing elements before they reach the reciprocable chute for inverting the elements.

11. A printer comprising, in combination, means for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, a stationary chute depending below such means for conveying issued elements to a delivery station, a reciprocable chute movable with such means for conveying issued elements to the stationary chute, and deflection means movable selectively into the path of the issuing elements before they reach the reciprocable chute for inverting the elements.

12. A printer comprising, in combination, means for printing and issuing elements such as tickets, labels or the like, a stationary chute depending below such means for conveying issued elements to a delivery station, and a reciprocable chute movable with such means for conveying issued element to the stationary chute.

References titted in the tile of this patent UNITED STAT ES PATENTS 623,649 Bradt Apr. 25, 1899 720,355 Huson Feb. 10, 1903 850,313 North Apr. 16, 1907 1,605,188 Hubbard Nov. 2, 1926 1,826,498 Bignell Get. 6, 1931 1,987,872 Rosenthal Jan. 15, 1935 2,034,269 Price Mar. 17, 1936 2,143,800 Schubert Jan. 10, 1939 2,235,130 Webb Mar. 18, 1941 2,770,192 Mitchell et al. Nov. 13, 1956 2,771,029 Carroll Nov. 20, 1956 2,865,289 Frowlie et al Dec. 23, 1958 

1. IN A PRINTER FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING ELEMENTS SUCH AS TICKETS, LABELS OR THE LIKE, IN COMBINATION, A PRINTING STATION, MEANS IN THE PRINTING STATION FOR PRINTING EACH SUCCESSIVE ELEMENT AND SEVERING EACH SUCCESSIVE ELEMENT FROM A STRIP OF ELEMENTS WHILE IT IS BEING PRINTED, CLAMP MEANS FOR HOLDING STATIONARY EACH SUCCESSIVE ELEMENT WHILE IT IS BEING SIMULTANEOUSLY PRINTED AND SEVERED, AND MEANS OPERABLE IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE CLAMP MEANS FOR DRIVING EACH SUCCESSIVE ELEMENT RELEASED BY THE CLAMP MEANS DOWNWARDLY FROM THE PRINTING STATION TOWARD A DELIVERY STATION. 